Can the Blood Vessels in Your Retina Predict Your Risk of Heart Disease?

Researchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) are seeking to confirm that blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye reflect changes in blood vessels in other parts of the body, especially the brain, kidneys and heart.

A project funded by the MBF Foundation is showing that blood vessels in the retina can be photographed and the images analysed by a computer to accurately determine a person’s risk of heart attack or stroke – cardiovascular diseases that change the appearance of blood vessels in the eye.

Lead CERA researcher, Professor Tien Wong, said they aim to show that combining this non-invasive retinal scan with the results from current risk assessment methods will improve precision and reliability in predicting cardiovascular disease.